The government will draft a law in the next two weeks to
allow coal and nonferrous-metal mines to resume operations,
Vosganian said today in Bucharest. The legislation is also aimed
at speeding up the mine-licensing process, he said.

Romania closed outdated coal and uranium mines after
joining the European Union in 2007 because they failed to meet
environmental standards. Investors have renewed interest in the
nation’s mining industry as resources elsewhere become depleted.

New technologies and private funds may allow mines to
reopen, according to Vosganian. “We’ve been noticing an
increase in investor interest in the last two or three years,”
he said. Gabriel Resources Ltd.’s Rosia Montana gold mine isn’t
covered by the draft law and “needs to clarify its
environmental criteria,” he said.

The country approved the suspension of 550 mines at the end
of 2009, according to data from the Economy Ministry’s website.